Do Great Things

At the Republic of Quality we believe that what we do is altruistic. That user experience design is meant to make the world a better place.

That’s a big part of why we started the Republic of Quality as a for-benefit business. To make the world a better place through insight and our talent for design-thinking. To connect people with wholehearted experiences that transform lives and create social change. The question I ask myself is how far can we really take that? I was challenged at SXSW this year to become part of the human project and do great things.

We have greater capacity to change the world today than kings and presidents of 50 years ago. ~ Justin Rosenstein

In Austin at SXSW 2013, Justin Rosenstein, Co-founder of Asana, described an opportunity to come together to create unprecedented global human thriving and a vision for a World-Wide Collaboration. In his vision humanity acts coherently, with purpose and love. Each person with an opportunity to contribute our unique gifts to the unified project of building our future. Technologists have astonishing leverage to tackle the biggest problems and take on bold missions. And, facing severe threats to our long-term survival, it's essential we use our gifts to foster happiness and alleviate suffering -- for us and our fellow beings.

Justin explored how a radical shift in consciousness from ‘Me’ to ‘We’ redefines our understanding of everything -- from entrepreneurship to capitalism to Facebook -- and reveals our opportunity to consciously co-design the evolution of humanity together.

Interesting note: Facebook has helped facilitate more social change in the Middle East in a few years than negotiations through the United Nations has in the last 30 years. People can see each other as real people on Facebook in a way they couldn’t before due to conflict, distance, and war.

The essential idea

To do great things you need to see more than your role in your life; you need to see your role in the human project. It becomes a focus on what you can give, rather than what you get. This is the shift from Me to We. This shift in consciousness has two essential ideas: Interconnectedness and universal love.

The following are thoughts on why it’s in our best interest to work together as if we are part of a unified project.

<ul>
<li>Being motivated by love allows us to move from taking care of ourselves to having heart for everyone around us.</li>
<li> It allows us to cherish others. Regard the welfare of others the way we regard our own, regardless of where they are in the world.</li>
<li>Connectedness widens our circle of compassion to all of humanity and nature.</li>
<li>When giving to something larger than myself joy can be experienced for more than a fleeting moment.</li></ul>
<h2>Four critical systems to transform</h2>
<p>Any system is more than the sum of its parts. If we are to truly transform our reality into a for benefit future there are some things we need to take a hard look at. The following four systems are interconnected and impact everything we do and interact with on a global scale.</p>
<h3>Ecology</h3>
<ul><li>The fate of humanity is bound with the fate of our environment.</li>
<li>Everyone should take a look at their talents and see how they can be applied to make society sustainable.</li>
<li>We are truly one ecosystem.</li></ul>
<h3>Nations</h3>
<ul><li>The We perspective sees us as interdependent. We are ONE people.</li>
<li>When we see ourselves as one nation, all war is civil war. This motivates us to move away from fighting and towards solutions.</li></ul>
<h3>Business</h3>
<ul><li>Business comes together to improve the world (We perspective).</li>
<li>Not-for-profit and for-profit businesses are not that only option. Creating for-benefit business that uses its resources to create positive social impact is one of the amazing options available. This is option resonates deeply with me so I’ve chosen it as my model moving forward.</li>
<li>Philanthropic (Love for mankind). Money is the means, not the end.</li>
<li>Earth Inc. One company where we coordinate our resources and effort to creating a better future for everyone. Could you imagine?!</li>

Technology

<ul><li>Thanks to technology people can see and feel change happening around the world.

Leverage design to solve problems.

Networks like Facebook can make the world more open and connected. For example Facebook designs a feedback loop of love not negativity.

We are ONE project. How much value can we add to the world?

From ME to WE

This is a move from the local tribe to the global tribe. If we work together we can not only survive, but thrive. We can do things like move from carbon producing to carbon neutral to carbon negative. This happens through effort and design, not by accident.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Albert Einstein

It’s in our long-term self interest to work together. We need to find our calling within the Global Human Project. My calling is to use The Republic of Quality as a place to design for a better world. I’d love to hear how you are looking to move from a Me to We perspective in your life and work.